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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 9 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 35 M anufacturing matters. In 2019 there are more than 4,000 manufacturing facilities in Connecticut, employing more than 163,500 workers — and growing. Manufacturing matters because each of these jobs creates and supports two to three other jobs on average. ere are more than 10,000 job openings in man- ufacturing in Connecticut today, with projections of up to 25,000 in the near future. is equates to the manufacturing community supporting upwards of 75,000 new jobs in the near future. e New Haven region has a rich legacy of manufacturing with Eli Whitney, the grandfa- ther of modern manufacturing, building his first factory near New Haven more than two centuries ago. Today we have diverse, high tech, advanced manufacturing throughout the entire region. However, every manufacturer faces similar chal- lenges: finding skilled labor. Why so many job openings? Manufacturing is growing, one of the bright spots of the state's economy. We also have an aging workforce headed for retirement. But the skills needed for today's technolo- gy-driven manufacturing workplace are simply not being taught at the level needed by Connecti- cut employers. e skills needed are high-tech and STEM-based. ese jobs require not only working with hands, but working with brains. Today manufacturers rely on the Connecticut technical high school system and the Advanced Manufacturing Centers at four community colleges across the state. Students coming out of these programs are the most desirable candidates for the manufacturing workforce. ere just aren't enough of them. In additional to working with the technical high schools and Advanced Manufacturing Cen- ters, the manufacturing community is partnering with various educational institutions and working diligently on some innovative solutions. Freshman entering Hamden High School this fall can apply to the Hamden Engineering Careers Academy program and become jointly enrolled in an associate of science degree pro- gram in manufacturing engineering at Gateway Community College (GCC) concurrent with a high-school diploma. is program promises to be a highly effective pipeline into the expanding manufacturing workforce, or to competitive college applications. Supported by the Workforce Alliance, Gate- Manufacturing matters in CT — more than ever Jamison Scott way and the New Haven Manufacturers Associ- ation, Skill Up for Manufacturing is designed to ramp up new workers for entry-level manufac- turing jobs in as little as five weeks, by providing the fundamentals that employers require. e Introduction to Manufacturing program will familiarize students with the basic mechanic and manufacturing skills and engineering knowledge required for entry-level workers in manufac- turing and related fields. e course will convey basic trade knowledge and workplace skills. e Materials and Manufacturing Summer Teachers Institute is a school-to-career initiative that provides STEM skills instruction in public school grades 7-12. rough the professional development of educators attending the institute, their students will experience in their classrooms and school laboratories how STEM skills are integrated in the manufacturing industry. e program provides insights that increase academic achievement in science and mathematics and prepare students for internships and hands-on school-to-career opportunities in high school that will lead to college and careers grounded in STEM skills as they relate to manufacturing. e Hamden Engineering Careers Academy, Skill Up for Manufacturing and the Materials and Manufacturing Summer Teachers Institute are just three of the innovative programs focusing on STEM education and narrowing the skills gap. Recently the manufacturing community has joined forces to create the Connecticut Manu- facturing Coalition. is team of manufacturing leaders has draed a plan to address the current and future needs of the manufacturing com- munity and will be working statewide with the governor's office, state officials and legislators in ensuring these programs and many others con- tinue to be supported to help the skills gap and ultimately increase employment. Manufacturing simulates not only the econo- my; it stimulates minds. It creates not only jobs; it creates careers. Manufacturing not only supports communities; it supports a high-tech, skilled workforce and builds wealth for workers and families. Manufacturing is critical to the success of the state's economy. is is why manufacturing matters. Indeed, it matters more than ever. n Jamison Scott is executive director of the New Haven Manufacturers Association. T H E L O O P VIEWPOI NT Manufacturing not only supports communities; it supports a high-tech, skilled workforce and builds wealth for workers and families.

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